This morning, I was reading in Proverbs 31 and was struck by the advice given to King Lemuel in verses 1-9. It was instruction on what a good king is to and not do. It seems that the following principles can be applied to any in leadership or positions of power.

Don’t be distracted by pleasure, particularly by the desires for illicit sex (31:3). Just think of all the leaders who have been brought down by sexual immorality. It is a sobering thought.

Don’t do anything that will dull your abilities to understand, apply and enforce God’s Law (31:4)

Give comfort to those who are dying and despairing (31:6-7)

Defend the helpless (31:8-9). Be extremely careful to speak up for those without a voice or resources.

Actively speak out for righteousness (31:9)

Make sure your judgments (and decisions) are righteous (31:9)

As I look through this list, it convicts me. The American evangelical church fails in many of these areas. May God convict us. May we repent. May He raise up leaders and congregations who will be devoted to righteous leadership, as He defines it. And, may He bless our nation with governmental leaders who will lead in accordance with these principles, as well as the many others throughout His Word.

How do you make decisions in your Church? Do you just ask “does it work”? Or, do you consciously and regularly look to God’s Word?

“The Bible is to have a controlling influence in our lives and in our ministry in the local church. . . The people and the house we serve are not ours; they are His. It is vital that we live and minister in accordance with His Book. This is completely counterintuitive in our pragmatic culture. We want to minister our way. We want to set up ourown rules and define the game plan. But Paul emphasizes that if we are to grow in grace as a congregation, if we are to be what He has called us to be, we have to live and minister according to the Book.–Ligon Duncan, Pastor First Presbyterian Church of Jackson, Mississippi.

Next time you face a decision in your church life–be the voice that cries out, “What has God said about this?”

What does ruling in the fear of God mean? It means that when you rule, you never forget that you will give an account to God for how you treat those who are weaker than you or are dependent on you. Therefore, you use whatever authority God has given you to rule or lead in such a way that God would approve. (p.275)

Some questions to consider:

In what areas of life has God given me leadership?

How do I cultivate an attitude of “accountability to God” for my leadership?

How do I view those I lead–as tools or as people I serve?

Ask someone under your leadership to evaluate you. Ask them to give special attention to how you treat those who are weaker than you or more dependent upon you.

As Christians, it is important to remember who we serve. It is very easy to fall into the trap of thinking that whoever signs our paycheck is the one we serve. We work for them. Thinking like this is dangerous. While we should serve them diligently and with a joyful and willing heart, we must always remember that it is Jesus we ultimately serve (Ephesians 4:5-8; Colossians 3:22-24). This is especially important of those called into pastoral ministry.

In his commentary on Philippians, John MacArthur makes a helpful observation regarding the importance of seeing Jesus as your boss rather than the church. He writes it primarily to pastors, but I think it also applies to all lines of work. When we forget who our boss is, we compromise.

Even if a pastor’s or teacher’s primary devotion is to the church, it will inevitably bring some measure of compromise, disappointment, and spiritual failure. But devotion to Christ Jesus can never be disappointing or in vain. If his ministry is concerned with other believers’ standards and opinions, a pastor will invariably stray from the gospel to some form of compromise. But devotion and obedience to the Lord and to His Word will just as invariably keep him on a godly and faithful course. (pp. 13-14)

I hope and pray that as you go about the work God calls you to today you will remember that it is Jesus that you serve.

CJ Mahaney is becoming one of my favorite biblical "appliers." He doesn't let you escape from the truth of God's Word, but forces you to deal with it.

In this article (click here to read it), CJ questions how we apply the truth of biblical manhood and womanhood in our homes and ministries. It is well worth reading! I hope to spend some time with my wife soon to ask the questions CJ poses.